All is Fair In Love and War
by Supersillycool
Summary: Angela loves Chase, but he seems to be in love with Maya, though she is Angie's best friend. Angela does whatever she can to win Chase's heart, but breaks others along the way... Love story with Gill x Angela x Chase x Maya.
1. Prologue

_*Hey! Well, this is my very first FanFic on this site, so please, please be nice to me...! _

_So anyways, I'm still figuring things out, like how to use this OpenOffice thinger, and I still need to expand my vocab a bit... so bear with me! Thanks to all you readers out there who are actually taking time out of their lives to read my first FanFic! Haha. I'll try not to disappoint, but reviews are always welcome..!! Thanks again, and off I go!!*_

_-**One quick note**: Harvest Moon characters, titles and any others belong to them, not me!-_

**All is Fair... in Love and War**

_~Prologue~_

_"Angie, you'll never be able to successfully run a farm. Why try when all that's ahead of you is failure?"_

I can still remember the fresh smell of the ocean as if it were yesterday. The soft spring breeze that carried the smell of the ocean was the very same that pushed me along to my new home.

What could of possibly awaited me? A farm that hasn't even been touched yet, yes, but I couldn't help but wonder what was all about to happen to me in such a short time.

_"I don't care. I'm going to try, mom. It's better then staying here, thats for sure."_

As a nervous habit, I had begun to twirl my short hair around my finger, letting the strands become twisted and knotty. My lip was becoming numb, and it was only then that I realized that I was biting it. And rather hard too. The feeling had just began to return back to it when I began instinctively biting it again. I was thinking about the past. The past that was really only a few days back. God, that seemed to long ago.

_"Alright, alright. But don't expect my sympathy for when you return _hun_."_

I remembered the last few moments with my mother. The long fight we had, the short breaks in between, only to return to the topic a few minutes later after something silly triggered an outburst out of one of us.

I sighed to myself, watching from the bow of the boat that was now carrying me to the island. The island where I'd start my new life. Away from everyone I ever knew, away from the only boy I've ever loved, away from my _mother_.

I was so lost in thought that I never noticed the Captain of the ship slowly approach me from behind. Even his soft 'ahem' from a few feet away made me literally almost jump completely off the boat.

"Excuse me Miss Angela... but we are approaching Waffle Island," the captain had grumbled, polishing that little pipe of his. What was his name? Pascal I think.

Pascal was eying me with a look of concern. "You... goin' to be alright there, missy?" he managed to say as I gathered myself from what it looked like was a sudden attempt at suicide.

"Yes, sir," I rubbed the back of my head nervously, "uhm..." I searched for words to say, but Pascal spoke instead:

"We'll be arriving in about an hour," he still had that look of concern on his face, making me feel kinda stupid, like he thought I needed some sort of special help, "I suggest you be packing yer things up."

I smiled at him, and nodded slowly. "Yessir," I chimed quickly before dashing below deck to repack my things.

That was then, this is now.

_End of Prologue_

_*Well guys? What do you think so far? I was debating with myself whether to make the prologue longer... but you guys understand whats happening right? Okay, in case I need to clear this up... YES her name is Angela, but her nickname is Angie, so you might see people calling her both names. Try not to get confused ;D_

_'sigh' Well I hope you enjoyed this so far, and if I get good reviews, I might write more!... Yeah, I'll probably write more whether you like it or not so DEAL =3*_


	2. Chapter 1 Confidence

_*Yay! First off, I want to thank my reviewers! It feels good to have nice reviews to look at. It inspires me. =D Hopefully I'll get this done fast enough for you! This is dedicated to you guys XD_

_aaaaaaaaaand on to chapter 1!*_

_Chapter 1_

_Confidence_

"_Sorry to disappoint you mother, but I wont be back for your 'sympathy' anyway. I'll be too busy with my farm."_

Huh. Its funny. Funny how when I had said that a few days ago, I was overflowing with confidence. My head was held so high... my voice so strong... and I knew, somehow, that I was going to be somebody. Somebody _big_. But now... I look up at the ceiling from my bed at the Sundae Inn, and I wonder where that confidence has gone. Why, but just a few days ago, was I so blind with that feeling, when now I'm considering forgetting the whole thing? To pack it up, call it quits, when I haven't even began to begin? I scrunched my face up, trying to figure things out. Was mother right? Maybe...

Just then a knock at the door made me jump.

"Hello?.. OH! Helloooo!!!" a girl about my age came skipping into the room when she saw I was there, smiling brightly. It kind of scared me. "You must be Angela, right? My parents--er--the inn-keepers told me about you. They also said that the mayor is very happy that your here!" she added matter-of-factly.

By now I was sitting up-right, and was watching her rock on her heels. Heel, toe, heel, toe...

"Uhm... hello?"

My gaze went from her feet to her eyes, and she had the same look of concern Pascal had given me.

"Oh, right, sorry," I mumbled as I stood up and came closer to her to speak, "my name is Angela, yes." I gave her a smile, which she quickly returned.

"Great! Ok, so thats out of the way, uhm... oh! Right, right, I should introduce myself! I'm Maya, the inn-keeper's one and only daughter, yup!" she held herself proudly, which reminded me of myself when I was talking with my mother.

"It's nice to meet you," I said happily, giving her a slight bow, "so, do you need something of me?" I asked politely, wondering if she was only here to introduce herself or not.

"Uhm... I was here for something... something... I can't remember... give me a minute it's here somewhere in my brain of mine!" she put her finger to her chin, obviously lost in thought.

I took this time to examine her. She had short orange hair, with braided longer bits at the sides. Cute style, but I've actually never seen anything like it. She was slightly shorter than me, and her face was cute and innocent. Her soft blue eyes completed the cutesy look about her. All-in-all, she seemed like a very nice girl. Maybe they could be friends! Who knew?

"RIGHT!" she exclaimed suddenly, clapping her hands together loudly, "I was sent for you to come downstairs. The mayor and his son is waiting for you!"

The mayor and his son? This soon? I couldn't go down, I looked like a rag-doll! My hair was a mess, and my clothes smelt of the sea... I didn't have any choice in the matter though, because Maya had already grabbed my hand and was dragging me downstairs.

"Maya! No-!" I managed to squeak, "my hair! My clothes..! I'm not-!"

"Oh don't worry 'bout it!" she giggled, pulling me pretty hard for someone that looked like a cute and innocent girl, "they wont judge you, you just got here!"

"But..."

I had no time to argue, because I was already downstairs, and was pushed in front of the mayor. At first, I was looking at eye level, but when I didn't see anyone, my eyes fell downwards, and they finally met with a squat man a little bigger than half my size. Beside him was a tall, pompous-looking boy with a bored expression.

"Ah..." I fixed my hair slightly, and cleared my throat about to speak, but...

"Welcome!!" the squat man blurted out, making me take a small step back, "my name is Hamilton, and I'm the mayor of this island. Beside me here is my son - Gill." He looked at Gill, waiting for him to say something, but he just stood there with his arms crossed. "Right," continued Hamilton, ignoring the silence his son had made, "I'm here to announce that you only have to spend one night here, and your house will be ready!" he laughed at what seemed like nothing, then proceeded with his speech, "but first you need to tell me where you'd like to live!"

He looked at me as though I knew what to say next, but honestly, I had no clue. "Well, uhm.. where exactly...?"

"HA! I knew you'd ask that! Lessee," he fished for a book in his jacket pocket, mumbling something along the lines of, 'now where did I put that thing?!' Gill sighed and handed him the small rectangular book that he was holding. "Right! Here it is. Thank you my boy!" I couldn't help but grin, because the scene was quite comical. "Miss Angela." he stated, "You have a choice between 4 different properties. One is closer to town, the other on a hilltop, another by the beach and the last near the mountains!" He looked up at me with glittering eyes, waiting for my answer.

I thought for a minute, and considered all choices. The beach sounded lovely, and the town was convenient... then again the mountain plot was beautiful...

"I'll take the hilltop, sir," I replied, happy with my decision.

Hamilton scribbled something on the little notebook of his and closed it firmly with a snap. "Great! Now, tomorrow, I'll be able to show you your new home! For now though, I suggest getting some rest. You'd want a tour of the town tomorrow I suppose, am I right?"

"That sounds lovely, thank you sir," I smiled, but he waved his hand at me.

"Please, please... call me Hamilton. And it's no trouble I'm sure. I'll send Gill to pick you up tomorrow at eleven!"

At this proposal Gill scoffed, apparently not happy with his father's decision.

"Now, now my boy! Say goodbye to the nice young lady!"

"..Bye." he said simply, turning on his heel and walking out the doors of the inn.

Hamilton 'tsked' "What am I ever to do with that boy. Oh well! Gill will be here at eleven sharp, Angela, please don't keep him waiting!"

I gave him a bow as my thanks, and he smiled and followed his son out the door. I turned to Maya, who had managed to keep quiet the whole time.

"Soooo? What do you think of the mayor?" she asked excitedly, her hands held together at her chest.

"Well, he sure has quite a character..." I replied, unable to stop myself from comparing Hamilton with the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

Maya nodded. "Yup! He's the best mayor anyone can ask for, really." she blinked a few times, then remembered that I was a guest in the hotel. "Oh! Angela-"

"Call me Angie," I interrupted with a smile, "thats what all my friends call me."

"Right! Ok, Angie! Teehee does this mean we're friends? Thats great!" she laughed, and I couldn't help but laugh along with her. "If you need anything, _anything_ at all... just ask!"

"I'll do that," I answered happily. I had completely forgotten about all my thoughts of quitting from this morning, and they were replaced with thoughts of happiness. I had a new friend, the mayor was friendly, and that Gill was kinda cute. Though he didn't seem much like a people person. Who knows, maybe having high confidence is a good thing.

_End of chapter 1_

_*Haha! I got chapter 1 done today! Maybe it should be a bit longer.... but I don't know, I kinda like how this turned out =)*_


	3. Chapter 2 Friends

_*Okay, I seem to be getting into the habit of updating everyday, but that might **slightly **change if say, the chapters get harder for me to write, or school interferes :D but to tell you the truth, I look forward to writing everyday, so you don't have to worry about me suddenly stop writing. And again, thanks to all my readers and reviewers! This is for you guys! Enjoy Chapter 2!* **P.S- sorry its a 'lil late!!-**_

_Chapter 2_

_Friends_

"_Angela, how many times must we go over this? No matter how many times you say it, it wont make it true."_

Nine-thirty. 1 and a half hours until the mayor's son comes to show me around town. I lay on my bed, pajamas still on, with no attempt to get ready what-so-ever. I sighed, knowing that sooner or later I'd have to get up, drag myself to the bathroom, shower, get dressed, brush out my knotted hair and be downstairs before eleven.

A knock at the door didn't even make me twitch. I was expecting it. I knew that any moment, she'd come bursting through the door...

"Oh Angiiiieee!!!" came a familiar voice from behind the wooden door, "remember that you hafta be downstairs by eleven!!"

A groan emitted from my throat to answer the voice, and the owner of it came bursting through the door – just as I expected.

"Annnnggiiee!!!" she stopped when she saw me, not even up yet, "come oooonnn... don't you want to see your new house?!"

I rolled over, and buried my face into the covers. "No." I answered stubbornly, but smiled into my pillow. Suddenly, the blankets were tossed off of me, revealing me in my night-gown. "Maya!!" I half-screamed, half-giggled.

"Come on! 'You don't want to keep Gill waiting'!" She imitated the mayor's voice, and quite accurate too, "Besides, someone wants to meet you downstairs before you go. Don't you want to make more friends??" Maya frowned, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of bed, then she pushed me into the bathroom.

"But..." she slammed the door in my face, and I could hear her happily hum her way downstairs to let them know I was on my way. I looked into the mirror, and made a funny face at my reflection._'Today's the day...'_. I thought to myself as I began to undress. My mind was racing now, thinking about what I would be doing in the next twenty-four hours. I'd have my own house. My own _farm_. I grinned at the thought and I finished undressing. I showered, changed, and brushed my hair out quickly but efficiently.

Ten-twenty-five. Forty-five minutes to go. I was half-way down the stairs, when I rushed back up to quickly straighten out my room. This _was_ my last day here, and I wanted to leave Maya with as less work as possible. When I arrived back downstairs, Maya appeared to be talking with someone. I stood beside her, and looked directly into the eyes of the boy she was talking with.

"Hello," he said with a smile, "you must be Angela. Maya told me all about you."

My mind drew a blank, and I could feel my face turn pink. Now, when you imagine a fairy tale, a princess would fall in love at first sight. The prince would be handsome, and he'd sweep her off her feet and take her to his castle far, far away. Since I'm older now, I knew that things like that only happened in those types of stories, right? But this boy was _gorgeous, _and if I didn't know any better, I would of guessed that he had actually climbed out of his very own fairy tale. His orange hair was messy – pinned to the side in places – and his purple eyes seemed to suit him so well. His skin was a kind of cream color, more white than beige. He stared at me for a minute when I didn't answer, and Maya elbowed me in the side.

"Ouch!.." I rubbed my ribs, casting a glare at my friend, who just stood there looking innocent.

"So..." he spoke softly, as if trying not to scare me or something, "...I'm guessing you must be a little confused. Thats alright, I was the same way when I first came here." He looked at the wall beside him, apparently thinking about his own memories. My face went from pink to red. That wasn't it at all... but I was glad that he brushed it aside as such, not saying something to show he knew I thought he was adorable.

"I...Uhm, it's-nice-to-meet-you-and...stuff," the words came faster then anticipated, and I must of sounded like an idiot, because Maya was trying to hide a giggle. She didn't hide it very well.

The boy came back to reality, and smiled at me, making my insides churn. God, even his _smile_ was adorable. "Cool. I'm Chase, the chef's...apprentice of sorts." He held out his hand, and I carefully took it. His hand was so soft...

It took me a minute to realize I was still holding his hand. "Oh!" I let go, laughing shyly and avoiding eye contact with him. "So, ahem, Chase... you mentioned something about 'when you first came here', when was that?" I was glad to have something to talk about, or I would of continued standing there like an idiot.

"Few seasons ago. Last autumn I believe," he said, nodding his head as he spoke, "do you know where your going to live yet?"

"Yeah, uhm.... no." I admitted shyly, twisting my hair around my finger, "I'm waiting for the mayor's son to come get me. He's going to escort me to my house, then show me around..."

"Gill?" Chase questioned, apparently a little shocked, "that boy never talks to anyone. All he's ever doing is thinking about things for the well-being of this island. Which you could admire I suppose, but why bother, when all thats ahead of him is failure? I mean, the island hasn't been doing well lately...hm? Angela? You alright?"

"_...but, why bother, when all that's ahead of him is failure?"_

"_Angie, you'll never be able to successfully run a farm. Why try when all that's ahead of you is failure?"_

I shuddered, and Maya and Chase must of noticed, because they were staring at me funny. "Angela?" Chase repeated, "you okay?"

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine," I lied, biting my lip.

"Well, if you say--"

The doors of the inn opened with the soft chime of a bell, and Gill walked inside. I caught his eye but he just stood there, as if waiting for me to come to him. He raised an eyebrow,"Well?"

I turned to Maya and Chase, who were both staring at Gill. "Well, I guess I better be going," I said, faking a happy tone, "Maya, lets meet up sometime. I'll come to the inn often and we can hang out, 'kay?"

Maya's head quickly turned back to me and she smiled brightly. The same illuminating smile she had given me when we first met. "Of course! I'll always be here, except when we're closed of course then I'll be around town, but I'll be easy to find just look around the square or in front of the inn I'll be there!!" She took a breath finally, and she gave me a hug, which I gladly returned. Now... if only Chase were friendly enough to give me a hug too... I smiled, said a quick goodbye to Chase, and began walking towards Gill. "Oh! Maya! Tell your parents that I greatly appreciate them letting me stay here. I owe them one."

"Don't worry about it!" Maya answered back, "remember to visit often!"

"I will!" I waved to her, and was on the verge of saying something else when Gill's voice cut off my own:

"Can we _go_ now?" he asked, opening the door and holding it open for me. At least he was _somewhat_ of a gentleman.

"Yes, lets go!" I said happily, skipping out the door, suddenly happy and very excited. "So, Gill, where is this house of mine?.."

He didn't even look at me when he said quietly, "Caramel River District. On top of a small hill." He fixed his hair as he walked, which seemed to be a habit of his, since he seemed to do it often.

"Oh," I said simply. I tried to think of something that might get him to talk, rather than walk in total silence. "Gill?"

"Hmm?" strangely enough, even something as simple as addressing him actually caught his attention. He was now looking at me in wonder, as if interested in why I was actually trying to force some conversation.

I kicked a rock with my foot, which landed in a bush somewhere along the side of the cobble-stone path. "The chef's apprentice, Chase, said that you had idea's for this island. Is that true? I'd like to hear some of them." And honestly, that was the truth.

I seemed to spark something in him, because he suddenly seemed a bit happier. He was looking down as he walked, but he seemed a little more relaxed, "Is.. that true? You want to hear my ideas?" I nodded, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "well, the island isn't doing as well as it used to, you need to understand that," he glanced my way, and when he saw I was still paying attention, he continued, "people of this island tend to take things for granted. We have a good climate, we _had_ good soil, had good, friendly people, and life was simple and happy, what else could anyone ask for?" He seemed to become more confident, as he was now looking up as he walked, half-daydreaming as he shared his thoughts. I continued to listen intently, "but, everyone stopped being thankful for what they had, and were only complaining about what they _don't _have. After that, things started getting really bad." His eyes softened, and, maybe, if his eyes had glowed in the same way they were now when I first met him, I would have had a completely different impression of him. His eyes illustrated sadness, sorrow... I looked up and realized we were out of town now, and were walking along a dirt path that lead to many different places. We walked on a winding path until I could see a shape in the distance. There, on top of a hill, was a cute pink house. I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement as we got closer and closer... "The soil became poor, the skies became dull, and everyone started... changing. My idea is that we try to get everything the way it was before. Before people started becoming selfish..." He paused, and he looked at me differently then he did we first met. "Angela," he said as we came ever closer to my new house, "I just wanted to say..." he fixed his hair again, trying to find exactly _what_ he wanted to say. Eventually, he simply said, "...thanks. I wanted to say thanks." At first, I wondered what he was thanking me for, but then realized he probably didn't talk about these kinds of things to people, nor did he really talk to anybody about _anything_, and I smiled.

"It's no trouble Gill, really," I laughed, "I owe you anyway for being kind enough to escort me to my house, so, thanks."

"Oh, yeah..." I could tell he was slightly embarrassed, because color had started to run to his face, "It's nothing...my father told me to... so I didn't really..."

"Thanks," I repeated, giving him a small smile, which surprisingly, he returned.

"So," he said, turning to my new house, "this is where my father has got your house built... as you can see, it, well... it's kinda small." he scratched his head, then continued, "we have a carpenter in town, so he'll probably upgrade it for you," he nodded then turned to face the east, "over there, there's room for a barn, a chicken coop... and below that is the place you can grow crops and your pasture for when and if you decide to raise animals." I looked around, and was very impressed with how neat it was. Even though I wasn't a farmer yet, I could tell that the soil was poor, just as Gill had said. It was overrun with weeds, and a big tree grew in the middle of it. But, there was lots of open space and my house was _beautiful._ I couldn't of asked for more.

I turned to Gill, who was also examining the place, and he caught my gaze, "Yeah?" he asked, "what is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing," I explained, "I'm just so excited!" He gave me an odd look, but he did seem quite pleased.

"So, how about a tour of the town?" he offered, and I noticed he wasn't nearly as rude and quiet as he was before. Of that I was glad.

"Sure!" I accepted, "so, we cool?" I held out my hand, which he stared at for a moment before clasping it in his. We shook hands, and unknowingly to us, we made an unwritten bond that neither of us ever spoke of. All we knew is that we're now friends, and there is nothing that will ever change that.

..or is there?

_End of Chapter 2_


	4. Chapter 3 Support

_*I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I haven't updated in a few days... and I'm not going to give you any excuses. I just wasn't in the mood for writing! But, now I am =D Yay? I want to thank my dedicated readers (if.. there are any! 0.o...) and say that critical reviews are also very welcome and appreciated. I'm always looking for new ways to improve my writing. Okok, here is Chapter 3!*_

_Chapter 3_

_Support_

"_Why won't you support me...?Don't you want me to be happy?"_

"What a day!"

And what a day it was. After Gill walked me through my farm, we had spent the rest of the afternoon wandering aimlessly around town. He easily pointed out all the residents and where they lived, showed me around Waffle Square – introducing me to Elli at the Town Hall – and acquainted me with the carpenter and his young apprentices. I was disappointed, though, hoping that Gill would have been more talkative. He only talked when he needed to, or plainly answered my simple yet dedicated questions. There were times when I tried to bring up the island's history but, sadly, it made him depressed, and he waved me off. I eventually gave up on the whole conversation thing.

Gill left me standing in front of my house, not even bothering to offer helping me get my things in order. But, strangely, I didn't mind. Instead, he said a quickly 'Goodbye', and jaunted off down the path. Now, what to do now? I sighed, then turned on my heel and carefully opened the door to my new house. A flutter of excitement ran through me as I looked around. It was about the size of a very large bedroom, with just enough room for a bookshelf, bed, side-table, a _very_ small kitchen, and a toolbox. I took a deep breath in, soaking up the smell of wood - pine to be exact. You could tell that the house was just build, because there were still a few pieces of sawdust in scattered areas on the floor, besides the fact it _smelt _like fresh wood. "Heee!!" I couldn't help but let out a shrill of happiness, twirling around and around in the middle of the room, almost hitting the bookshelf...and the bed... and the tool box.

Eventually I landed on my bed, looking up at the ceiling - also made of wood._ 'My own house!' _I thought proudly,_ 'my own house! My own **house!**'_ I couldn't believe it. Many different emotions ran through me. After all this time I finally have my own place to live. I couldn't stop the butterflies fluttering in my stomach, and I felt...free. Suddenly I realized it was starting to get chilly, and I lifted my head off the pillow. My eyes landed on the door, which, of course, was still wide open. "Oops," I muttered to myself. I couldn't help but feel a little stupid as I got up and firmly closed the door. I wasn't even living in my house for 5 minutes and I had already left the door _wide_ open. I hugged myself for warmth, running my hands up and down my arms which were now covered in goose-bumps. "I need a fireplace..." I said sternly, looking around the house for any sign of a heating device. None. I turned around, and stared out the window. The sun was setting now, emitting beautiful shades of pink, yellow, orange and red. It calmed me, and seemed to warm me up a little inside. I let out a happy sigh, releasing all my dreadful emotions out into the world for someone else to soak up.

Tomorrow... I think I'll visit Maya.

I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and energized. I felt as though nothing in the universe could possibly bring me down. I was on top of the world.

I took a deep breath, letting the fact that I was actually living my own life sink in. I brushed my hair, wondering where the hell the bathroom was in this house, and hummed a happy melody as I cleaned. I swept up the excess sawdust, made my bed, sanitized the kitchen, and went outside to start weeding the field. "Whew..." I panted, hardly even finished a quarter of the field, "this is tougher than I thought..." I began tugging at another weed, which simply resisted to be pulled from its earthy home. "Come. On. You. Stupid. _Plant!_" I muttered at every tug. I fell to my knees, defeated.

"I never thought I'd see the day when a human would lose to a wild plant," came a familiar voice from behind me.

My face automatically turned a vivid shade of red, knowing exactly who it was. "Chase!" I stood up - with great effort - and wiped my forehead with my sleeve. Fumbling to find the words to say. "I was just...-"

I was startled by his pleasant laugh.

"You must really be working hard, your face is so red!" I was glad that he was clueless – or he seemed to be anyway.

I bit my lip, and my face - if possible - was turning into a deeper shade of red. I laughed nervously before speaking, "They're.. really hard to pull out..." Wow. What a _stupid_ thing to say.

He laughed again, making my insides turn to jelly. Why did his _laugh_ even have to be so adorable?

"Ahhh..." he wiped his eye, apparently I was hilarious to him. "I wish I was here to help, but I was sent to deliver some food for you," he showed me a package that he had set down before first addressing me, stifling another laugh, "it's full of things to help you get started. I threw in a few cooking equipments for you. There's also some vegetables, a few fruits and cutlery." he smiled at me, then added, "I'm also here to give you support. It must be hard... pulling weeds by yourself." He chuckled. Now I felt extremely embarrassed, humiliated actually. Did he really have to twist the knife like that?

"Yeah..." I looked behind me at the large amount of weeds still needing to be pulled. All of them mocking me... just _daring_ me to pluck them. Oooohhh, just wait until I get a sickle. "I.. thanks for your support," I said flatly, and he must of realized that he had said something wrong, because his tone completely changed.

"It's not easy starting out on your own. Just keep trying, you'll get the hang of it."

Now _that's_ support.

I smiled at him, and thanked him for the delivery. "Oh, it's no problem, Angela." he waved it off, "just promise me you'll keep trying, never give up."

"I... I promise," I stated, my cheeks returning to their red color. He nodded, then began walking down the path. He got halfway down the dirt road before he stopped, then turned to me again.

"Oh, Maya says 'Hi'," he shouted, before turning around again and continuing down the path.

_Maya._ I was going to visit her today. I looked at the sun, which was now high above my head. There wasn't a lot of time left, and these weeds weren't going to pluck themselves. I turned to the field of doom, eying the plant that had moments before defeated me. I rubbed my hands together, and easily pulled it from the ground.

"What?!"

Leave it to Maya to make sure the whole inn could hear what we were talking about.

"Shh!" I put my index finger to my lips, looking around at the people that were now staring our way. Maya sat back down at the table after launching herself into the air when I told her what I did. "Be quiet! I don't want him to hear...!"

"Oh don't be silly. He's on break now anyway." she rested her head on her hand and stared at me with a large grin. "It's really true? You really _like_ him?" she stressed the word as if it was a crime to crush on Chase. "Hehe I can't believe it! Thats so cute!" her voice was getting rather loud again, making me wave my hand telling her to be quiet.

"Yes, it's true," I admitted again, looking around the room all paranoid-like. What if he walked through those doors right now? Maya might give it away! "I just... don't want him to know. It's too soon you know?" Maya seemed to understand, and she nodded, "I mean, what if telling him I like him ruins our friendship?" I drew shapes on the table with my finger, resting my head in my free hand.

"Hmm..." Maya was silent for a moment, before declaring, "you need to tell him when your ready, but don't wait and wait and wait and wait! It might be too late when you _do_ decide to tell him."

'Too late'? I raised my head off my hand. Is there someone else that could capture his heart before I did?

"I also think," she continued, "that you need to impress him somehow!" she snapped her fingers together, exhibiting that she had an idea, "you need to become a good chef! He's an excellent cook himself, and if you could prove to him that your cooking skills are at least matched to his, he'll definitely fall for you!!" she was obviously proud with her idea, because she wouldn't accept any other suggestions I threw at her.

Well, easier said then done. I've never cooked for myself in my _life_. Only microwaving Pizza Pops, or eating my mother's awful cooking back in the city. I don't think that will be sufficient here. I sighed, ignoring Maya's constant talking about what a great idea it was. "Maya," I eventually said, "it's not going to work..."

She looked at me, a little surprised that her precious idea had been shattered. "What do you mean?"

"I have no cooking skills what-so-ever. How can I win his heart with Failed Dishes? It wont work."

"Oh," she sighed, and crossed her arms, "well... do _you_ have any better ideas?"

I thought for a moment, then came to the conclusion that no, I had no idea's at all. As if on cue, Chase walked through the doors, spotted me and Maya, and gave me a quick wave. I smiled in response, glancing at Maya who was giggling at me. I made a decision then, knowing that this wasn't just a fantasy of mine, it was now a _mission_. As Chase walked into the kitchen, I followed him with my sharp brown eyes repeating the same thing over and over in my mind:

"How can I win Chase's heart?"

_End of Chapter 3_

_*Wow, long chapter XD I hope it wasn't too long for any of you out there, and I hope it was worth your wait!!*_


	5. Chapter 4 Typhoon

_*first off... I'm really sorry! Hahaha I haven't updated in a while, and I feel terrible =(. Well, I want to thank everyone who has been patient enough not to come hunt me down and beat me with spikey clubs :D Thank you~*_

_Chapter 4_

_Typhoon_

ACK!

Oh my goddess. When I pictured a 'typhoon', I imagined lots of rain, wind, and cold. But oh no, its much worse. Sure, there's rain, wind and all that jazz, but - as I soon found out – its _devastating_. I soon found out why no one leaves there houses, and locks all doors and windows. Hey, guess what? Me, being the amateur farmer that I was, shrugged it off as some little storm, assuring myself it was nothing to prepare for. Don't worry. I payed for my mistakes.

Now I'm running for some sort of shelter, caught in the storm in the middle of town. Great. Good thing everyone's doors and windows are shut right? I groaned, thinking about all my open windows and soaking wood floors back home. As I ran, I noticed a house ahead of me. Whoever they were, maybe they would be nice enough to let me stay! My feet made splashing sounds on the muddy coble-stone pathway; my feet soaked, my hair a mess, my clothes sticking to me. And goddess, it was _cold_. My hands were numb, holding the top of my head as if to shield it from the rain and wind. Yeah, a lot of help that did.

I knocked at the door when I arrived, "Excuse me?" I yelled over the roaring wind, "Hello? Can you let me in?" No answer. _'Great,' _I thought with a sigh. I shivered, and was about to run the other direction when I heard the sound of the door opening. Maybe it was because I was so desperate to get some shelter, but it was almost impossible to hear it over the sound of the wind otherwise.

"Who is it?" a voice came from behind a sheet of cold rain, "What do you want?"

"My name is Angela, I need somewhere to stay, please, can you help me?" I pleaded, unable to see the person through all the rain. Hopefully they could hear me, because I was having a hard time understanding _them_.

"...Come in," the voice said suddenly, and I hurriedly stepped inside.

"Thank you!" I shivered in my spot, holding my arms close to my body for warmth. There was a fire going in the fireplace, and I was relieved. Then I realized who was standing before me. "Gill? This is your house?"

The Mayor's son stared at me for a moment, as if disgusted at what he saw. "Yeah, me and my father live here.." he said sternly, "don't you remember anything from my tour?" shaking his head, he didn't seem to realize I was standing there freezing my pants off, "I told you where we lived already." He told me this as if he were giving a lecture to a small child.

"Gill! What are you doing? I need you to...-" A voice came from somewhere, and I recognized it to be the Mayor. He stepped out from behind a wall, behind it was most-likely the kitchen area, "Miss Angela! What a pleasant surprise!" he looked me up and down, then something must of clicked in his head, "Angela! What on earth happened to you my girl?" Oh, he just realized I was soaked to the bone? He glanced over at Gill, who was standing there staring at me. "Gill!"

Gill snapped out of his trance, looking towards his father, "What?"

"Why are you letting poor Miss Angela stand here in cold clothes? Go get her a towel! Go! Now!" He waved him off with his hand, motioning towards the stairs.

Gill walked upstairs, apparently in no hurry to get that towel of mine.

"Now, Miss Angela," I turned to face him, and he was just as small, just as plump, and still had the features of the Pillsbury Dough-Boy. "While Gill is getting that towel, come here, come here..." he grabbed my hand and lead me towards the fire place. As soon as I was in front of it, I felt much better. I was warm again, but, still soaked to the bone. "Now, tell me something," he sat down, but I stayed standing, not wanting to ruin their nice comfy chairs, "why are you out here in this type of weather!" he motioned towards the window, which was closed shut, unlike mine at home...

"Well," I began, shivering slightly, "I wasn't prepared, I guess, and..." I hated admitting myself, it made me sound as if I had no idea what I was doing. "I was caught unaware."

Mayor Hamilton nodded, his hands folded together and his index fingers pointing upwards towards his chin, "I see, maybe you should be more careful next time, hm?" he laughed, a chubby man's laugh, but it was also one that was contagious, and I found myself giggling as well.

A towel was thrown at my back, and I turned around to see Gill standing behind me, the towel now on the floor at my feet.

"Right! Thank you my boy! Very helpful, very helpful!" He nodded to his son, who sat down in the chair next to me; crossing his arms and staying silent.

"Yes... thank you," I said, a hint of sarcasm hidden within the depths of my shivers. I picked it up, and put it on top of my head, moving it around to try and get as much water off as possible. "Maybe I should use a bathroom..." I suggested, too embarrassed to take the towel off my head. My hair would be messy, knotted, and fly-away.

"Yes! Of course, of course! Gill! Show her the way to the washroom, hm?"

Gill mumbled something that neither me or Hamilton heard, then began walking up the stairs, me at his heels. When we got upstairs, he pointed to the bathroom. "Right there," he muttered, as if even special needs people could figure it out.

"Thank you," I said curtly, then, "uhm... is there anything I can change into?"

"Are you kidding me? We don't have any girl clothes in here!" Gill shook his head at me.

"Well, sweatpants and a t-shirt will do!" I stuck my tongue out at him, the fluffy pink towel still on my head.

He looked at me oddly, then said, "Fine, I'll see what I can get you," he turned away, and I thought I saw him smile as he walked downstairs.

Psh, good riddance. Walking into the bathroom, I noticed how neat and clean it was. Everything in this house was neat and tidy. Unlike my house... now dripping with water and my bed was probably soaked and everything... I sighed, closing the door behind me and removing the towel from my head. Yikes. Good thing I asked for a bathroom. I found a comb, and picked it up. In gold letters the word 'Gill' was engraved on its blue surface. "Hah, he won't mind!" I began combing out my hair with his comb, wincing at knots and curls that were forming on my head. Finally, as I used my hand to take out all the hair stuck in the comb, a knock came at the door. "One second!" I placed the comb back on the counter, and opened the door to find Gill standing there with clothes in his hand.

"Here," he said as he handed them to me, "did it really take you this long to do your _hair_?" Gill looked disgusted, "women! ...Hey, you better not of used _my comb!!_" I closed the door on him as he said the last words, yelling "thank you!" over top. I smirked to myself and looked at the clothes he had given me. Ah, gray sweatpants and a blue t-shirt. It'll do. I changed into them quickly, and opened the door to see Gill still standing there.

"Uhm, pervert much?" I blinked at him, and he immediately backed off.

"No! Thats not what I was doing!" His face was a little red, and I laughed. How cute! "My dad told me to wait for you, thats all!" he crossed his arms, embarrassed at my accusal.

"Don't worry, I wont release your secret perversion to the island," I ran my thumb and index finger across my lips; at the end twisting it as if locking a key, and throwing it behind my right shoulder. I brushed past him, walking downstairs and into the living room.

"Ah! There you are Miss Angela!" He was still sitting in the same chair he was in before, giving me a nod as I approached him. "I see Gill gave you the clothes, excellent! And I must say they look marvelous on you," he smiled, and I laughed.

"Why thank you!" I sat down in a chair across from Hamilton, and looked towards the fireplace. Ahh it sure was warm and comfortable now that I was dry and clean.

Gill came down the stairs after me, his face still red with embarrassment. He was walking towards the chair next to me, then immediately changed course and went for the one beside his father, looking the opposite direction with his arms crossed over his chest in a kind of stubborn way.

"So..." I broke the awkward silence, and they both looked up at me, "I hate to be a bother, so maybe I should get going.."

"Oh nonsense young lady! From what you told me your house was unprepared too, I'm sure you'd love a place to sleep tonight?"

Gill quietly laughed at me for leaving my house unprepared, apparently proving his point on how amateur I was. I shot a glare at him, and, to my satisfaction, his smile quickly vanished when his father offered me to stay the night. "What?" he asked, almost dumbfounded.

"That would be nice," I smiled at Gill's reaction; he looked at me, then back to his father, "but, I don't want to be a burden..."

"No, no, no! You're always welcome here Miss Angela! I'm sure Gill would like it if you dropped by once and awhile too, am I right my boy?" he nudged him with his elbow playfully, but Gill was still dumbfounded by his dad's offer.

"She can't stay here," Gill said plainly, "I mean... where will she sleep? We don't have anywhere she can stay."

Hamilton thought this over, "You are right, my boy..." Gill proudly smiled at this. He looked at me and I stuck out my tongue again. What a jerk! "we could always put some mattresses on the floor, give you some extra pillows and blankets...Yes! That is what we shall do! No more discussions about it!" he added as Gill opened his mouth to speak again.

"That would be lovely, thank you so much sir," I bowed my head, then looked up to see Gill scowling. He had lost. Hah!

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow morning I'll prepare a nice breakfast. But for now, we need to get things set up. And when I say 'we' I mean 'you' Gill," Me and Hamilton laughed, but Gill scoffed.

"Don't worry, I'll help you Gill," I offered. This was going to be fun.

I had woken up to the smell of bacon and eggs. My stomach grumbled, but my head hurt. I noticed all my pillows were pushed off the mattress while I slept, so my head was resting on bare mattress. I folded all the sheets, stacked the pillows, and tried to make things as neat as possible. Gill was already at the table, fully dressed and helping himself to more eggs. I looked at the clock: eight-thirty. I yawned, and enjoyed breakfast with Hamilton and Gill.

I waved them goodbye and repeatedly thanked them as I began walking back home, carrying my washed clothes and still wearing the sweatpants-t-shirt combo. When I got back to my house, I was almost too scared to look inside. When I did, I was relieved to see the floor was only wet near the window, and my bed was fine. The kitchen was soaked, but nothing a little mopping couldn't fix.

As I cleaned up, I wished I never left the Mayor's house. I felt at home there... although Gill made sure I didn't end up _living_ there.

"_Why don't you stay another night?"_ Hamilton had said, followed by:

"_No! She can't possibly stay another night! She needs to return **home**, **don't** you Angela?"_ Gill had glared at me, as if _daring_ me to say I'd stay. Of course, I agreed with Gill and went home.

But... Something made me want to go back. I didn't know what though, so I just continued cleaning. _'Maybe I'll visit later,' _I thought, mopping up the last of the water, _'I'll make them something as thanks. Like... cookies!_' I knew that I wasn't a good chef, but, maybe Maya could help! She was a good chef, wasn't she? And plus, I'd be able to visit Chase! Yes, thats a great idea. I'll go later tonight.

_End of Chapter 4_


	6. Chapter 5 Live Life

_Chapter 5_

_Live Life_

Great. Just great; some things never change. Even with all the food items that Chase had kindly brought over those short few days ago, I was still unable to cook something for me to eat. Well, it wasn't like I wasn't able to _cook_ anything, it's just that all of the recipes that I had tried all came out as failures. Black, charred, tasteless failures. I stared down at the latest creation – an attempt at grilled salmon – with a look of disgust across my perspired face. I passed my arm in front of my head and wiped the sweat from my forehead, my hands returning to my face to clear my eyes of the salty tears beginning to form in the corners of my eyes. '_Can't I do anything right?'_ I felt so hopeless. I thought this would be a cakewalk from the moment I decided I was happy here. I had friends, I had connections with the Mayor and his son, and I had everything I could ever ask for to help get me kick-started on my new life.

If only I knew how to _live_ it.

I wiped my hands on my pants to dry them of the mix of tears and sweat before picking up the plate with the lump of goddess-knows-what on it. My stomach growled so intensely that I honestly had thoughts of eating the sad excuse for food; I thought better of it. Who knew what kind of sickness I'd give myself? Can one die from that much charcoal in their system? Better not to find out. I dumped the salmon in the garbage and placed the plate in the sink with the rest of the dishes. _'Looks like I'll be buying my supper tonight...again...' _I thought hopelessly as the wallet in my back pocket seemed to scream for mercy. I have barely anything left. I've wasted about a weeks worth of food, my money seemed to be disappearing faster than anticipated, and I didn't even have crops of my own to help me make a living. What was I doing? What was I _thinking_?

As I stood there in the corner of my quiet house washing dishes I realized that I was quite lonely.

Maya. I was going to go visit her - I need cooking lessons. Not just for Chase now, but for herself, the Mayor and Gill. Well, maybe not so much for Gill. What a snob. I couldn't help but smile to myself though, he was quite the character himself. But without Hamilton, I don't know where I'd be. Being a mayor as kind as himself makes me think about how I envy him. Being a mayor must be amazing. Sure, there was the constant stress of dealing with the island, and then there was the citizens that all needed looking after and kept up to date...Maybe one day...

I realized I had stopped washing the dishes, and was staring ahead of me. In this case, I was gazing out the window that was over my bed. I watched a moth try to go through the clear glass before I fixed my eyes outside. It was beginning to get darker, and I had planned to visit Maya before sunset. I snapped myself out of my thoughts and quickly finished up the dishes. One dish in particular had me P., since I was scrubbing it for a while and the black, bubbly paste still wouldn't unstick itself from the plate. Oh, how I wished I had a dishwasher. Or, you know, some magical elf to clean all this for me. But of course, that would never happen, right? Well, lets wait and see.

After a while I finally finished the dishes – or rather, gave up on the last few. I'd get to that later – and stepped outside, locking the door behind me. I sighed deeply to myself, taking in the evening air. What a beautiful night. I could see the sun setting from the top of my little set-up on the hill. The deep reds and light yellows contrasted each other and created an orange-ish glow. Amazing. _'I'd better get to Maya's before the Inn closes,'_ I thought, yet I still stood there for what seemed like forever.

…

_Knock Knock_

The Inn doors were closed and locked firmly, but the lights were still on and the place was alive inside.

"Hello?" I called through the doors, "Maya? Chase? Anybody?" I knocked again, and shivered in my spot. By now the sun had set, and handfuls of stars were visible in the darkest part of the sky. Of course I didn't listen to myself when I knew I should have been here already, but instead, I sat there watching the sunset. Stupid me. I looked around, and spotted Gill's house across the stone path. _'I still have to return the clothes they let me borrow...' _I remembered, eying the little house with my deep brown eyes. I realized later that someone might have been in the window watching me, but I never really noticed.

I jumped when the doors behind me swung open and someone pulled me inside. Harshly.

"Hey, hey, hey little lady!" a voice came from somewhere, and I soon realized it was from the man who was holding me, and by the way he had his arm around my neck, I couldn't turn around to see who it was. My hands flew to his arm to try and get him off, but it was no use. "What're ya doin' 'ere when er'one knows it's the time for men ter be drinkin'!" He let out a howl of laughter, and it didn't take me long to figure out this man was drunk. I finally released myself from his tight grasp, and turned around sharply to face him. He wasn't someone I've met before, from the looks of it. Was he perhaps the carpenter that Gill mentioned, but never introduced me to? He looked quite odd, with his messy blue hair, piercing eyes and hairy mustache. Heck, he even had the same round figure as Hamilton. To complete the look he had a full mug of beer in his right hand, which he was currently taking a swig of.

"Excuse me sir, I didn't mean to invade in your time..." I tried to turn away, but he pulled the same maneuver with his arm, this time the one with the mug attached to his hand, the contents of which spilling out and hitting the floor.

"Nonse-nse my de-ar!" he said between drunken hiccups and roaring laughter, "why not sit and 'ave some wit' me?" I shook my head in protest – little that did, with his huge muscled arm around my neck, and I was about to speak when someone did for me.

"Dad, c'mon! Leave her alone, why dont'cha?" the man's arm relaxed at once, and I slipped through it and turned 'round on my heel again. Standing next to the drunken man was a boy. There was a stunning resemblance between the two, with the same messy blue hair and piercing yellow eyes. Of course, the boy was a lot younger – and sober.

"Oh-ho-ho, Luke," the man replied to him with less of a booming laugh then before, "why don't ya go home 'lready?"

"Because you told me to come with you so I can keep you under control," the boy replied simply, but with a strange, wicked smile, "and it seems I need to be doing a better job!" the boy winked at me, and I sheepishly smiled. No wonder the doors were closed, no one wants drunks running around the town at night. I examined the place and noticed that he wasn't the only one here enjoying a few - or in his case, more than a few - drinks. There was a very solemn looking man with a brown barret on his head sitting at a table lined with lace, as well as Maya's own father, and I could of sworn I saw Pascal too.

The boy who was addressed as "Luke" was hastily calming down his father, and eventually got him to sit back down with his buddies before approaching me again.

"Sorry about that, my dad can be quite the drunk," he laughed, but it was a hollow laugh, and it made my eyebrows raise up my forehead, "please don't be offended by him, he's only here for some fun. I'm present to make sure he doesn't have too much fun and be unable to return home."

I nodded, and finally spoke, "It's no problem... he can't help it in the state he's in." Luke nodded back, and with the same wicked smile, he replied,

"I'm Luke," and he held out his hand for me to shake.

"Angela," I replied, shaking his hand and giving him a slight blow.

"No need to be so polite, Ang," he laughed, but this time I could tell it was real, "around here first impressions don't matter!"

That was a lie. I glanced back at his father, and knew the next time I saw him I would still think of him the way I do now... But I smiled and replied, "Have you seen Maya? The girl who works here?" I remembered why I came here in the first place.

"Oh, yeah. What about her? She's in the _back_ with Chase," he gave me a wink that made my heart sink a little, I didn't like the smirk he gave me. It filled my mind with all kinds of crazy convictions. What could they possibly be doing back there?

"Oh, thank you very much Luke," I said with a fake smile, trying not to think about what I'd see as soon as I got to the back.

"No problem," he replied, and gave me a wave as I turned around to head to the back room.

I passed multiple people as I went, some I knew, some I didn't, but all I had on my mind right now was the_ back room_. They couldn't be, they wouldn't be, they-

I opened the door, ready to call them out, and saw Maya by a deep sink washing dishes, her back to me, in an apron that covered her normal attire, and Chase on the other side of the room cooking some sort of meal for dinner. The smell of chicken, eggs and rice wafted to my nose and made my stomach call out in hunger. _'Of course,'_ I thought with relief. I let out a small sigh, angry and embarrassed at myself for thinking what I did earlier, "Maya!"

She turned around and smiled brightly, "Angiiee!!" she dropped the dishes back in the sink and ran to me before embracing me in a huge hug. "Are you here for cooking lessons?!" she asked excitedly.

Chase was listening to us from the other side of the room.

"Of course!" I replied with a smile, "I was hoping you'd be the one to teach me!"

A sound came from Chase's direction; it sounded like a laugh. We turned to face him as he said, "Maya? Teach you? I'm sorry to say, but you'll be rather disappointed with the outcome."

"Excuse me?" I blinked at him a few times, then glanced back at Maya, who's happy smile turned into a horrible frown.

"Says you!" she exclaimed, and I had a feeling it was louder then she anticipated, "I can cook just fine!"

"Angela," the way Chase said my name made my stomach do some sort of an aerobatic move inside, "why don't I teach you? I am pretty good at what I do."

Maya was obviously hurt by this, and screeched, "I can be just as good as a chef as you are, Mr. Poo-Face!" I didn't know what to do, my crush and my friend were both offering me help – who would I choose?

Chase frowned and walked up to Maya, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. Really. I just thought that she could use someone with a bit more experience."

"Thanks Chase," I couldn't believe that I was saying this, "...but I think I'll stick with Maya," I smiled as Maya made a funny noise in glee.

"Really??" her frown literally turn upside down and she stuck her nose up at Chase, "See! She'd rather have _my _help!"

_'Trust me,'_ I thought, _'you don't know how lucky you are to have a friend like me.'_ It was obvious I still wanted Chase to help, and I think it might of showed on my flushed face somehow, because instead of being hurt, he generously offered, "Why not we both help you? That way Maya can get some experience, you get your lessons, and there isn't any issue here?"

I smiled at him, what a smart boy.

Maya on the other hand, groaned, "But you're a meanie!!"

Chase smirked, the kind of smirk that made my heart beat faster. Would I be cursed with this feeling forever?

"When do you want to start the lessons Angela?" he asked, ignoring Maya's last comment.

I thought, and looked from Maya to Chase - from frown, to smile. "Anytime is good with me, how about now?"

Both Chase and Maya smiled and chimed, "Great!!"

This would be interesting.

_End of Chapter 5_


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